Cofferdam



Feb. l, 1949.

Filed NOV. 13, 1945 C. DOBELL COFFERDAM lll.

Feb. 1, 1949. I C, DOBELL 2,460,624

COFFERDAM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www w Patented Feb. l, 1949 -1 femm# @FE1-.ce1

ooFFERDAM CurzondlibeiLNew York, Nays assignor-to"Pre--V load Enterpmses, Inc., ancorporationizof Deia-M Ware Appxiati-omNnvemben 1s, lsrsseriai No;V censeur (o1. (i1- 34) f ofS myf inventionfisusefulifor repairing ror vrecon'-l ditioning conoretedined areas'fof ifa river l'bank Wliere'hveryf expensive' cutting fwou'ld otherwiserbe necessaryinierdentdfive l:piles throughthefconcrete .andzintorthe friveilbedn,

The invent-ioncontemplates: a: Inox/el method offorming-a coflerdam k.oribarrierawhich consists first, inthe .rp-lacing; of-1aeliacenty and 4coopg-:rati-ng blankets supporting; surfaces Withinythefbody ,fof Water.- about the .area to beexposed-y andextending upwaizdly`-vfrom-.the bottom.l;thereof,.,and .second theplacing toi water excluding, `blankets in over? lapping-.relation .on said/surfaces. and.,.ext.ending outwardly` therefrom along and onstb'e bottom of'said body. The surface supported lportion of the blankets provides awall preventingth'e free passage of wate'nto said: areal. andthe portion of the blankets restingonf the bottom ,prevents 'p ercolation of water through'the bottom; and vunder the'f;barrier"byjextendingtlie Ablanket'ed area a substantial' distance'outwardly of.;tli'e barrier: I propose to' utilize.; flexible. Waterfexcluding blankets:tocoifer'botli` the'submerg'ed surface or bottomadja'centito 'the barrier and the' walls 'of barrier" itself;l

Another?characteristic feature rof mjy novel pi'ocess'consists irlfforrnligstll'e i*barrier -of 'artic'uf latedfram'es whichmay ,berr'enderedbuoyant and floated 'into place and. thensunk. inv exactly, the

propieiwlocation to form the component p artsof Atlie"ola'nlr'etLwlii'cli I propose to attach" in rolled formation tyeachY section- These fabric rolls are of substantial Weight and may' be partially unrolled upon-:their respective framesfin#adjust.-v ing *the .fcenter'of jgravit'yrofr each frame. z

Thebarrier vsections may be 'separately icon,-

structed and comprise ai=timber="-framefwithna sheathed outer `facing 'uponzrwhichsther fabric blanket* is tov be l' supported:;I The; individualy fra-mes may be -of'suchf'dimension astofwithstand thefrracking and 'rtvvistingf ofc roughxwaterg for examplaf feetinlengthi: These iunit sections may be assembledin"articulatedn'elation oir-ione orV more cables'andv towed in' train from one locatipnto f another; Inzztransit the individualzframes are 'free to toss and :pitcli` and-.'theny When-'.itli'ey have :been: properly located in the :"desire'd posi-,- tion; theyV may :be *bound "together -by tightening i offfthe Ycablesand 'sunlrtoV form 'fthe longitudinal element of the coierdam: lbrexampleeasstring of20 andf22` sections maybe 'handledftogetheni this way.

In the `apltnlication of "my process `vtov-sloping surfaces such as a river bank; thebottomv of fach section. wilL' of course,j be rdesigned'fto restiiIr-an inclined position'- andthe projection offitsf'center lthe vbase andE tnusrender it stable against Juplift or'overturningl after 'the cofferdam.' lasfb'een pumped'outi The process of "my invention"canbeutilized'r uncovering (l) a sulornergecil"v surface -Whi'chiis inclined, (2 an inclined'surface=mergingitoa horizontal surface,` (3)' a horizontal surface; and (4) a Vertical 'surface as; for example,- the; ver tical wall Yof v"af dam. Inl `all four rof' "th'ese icases, the frames are madefofsuit'able :shapef-forrtheir 'intended use; are made substantially'. Waterproof. by; a ffabricrblanketor'"curtain;v andfthe blanket is; extended rout fromiftl'i'ezwalls solthe frames :over 'any .desired area of'4 the porousimatearial-'or the -i-rregularAv surface upon.-A or-fagains-t which" thefframes restl These .and other yfeatures ofstheeinventioniwill #be best runderstoodanol. appreciated fromthelfollowing; description of` certain embodiments thereof selectedeforl purposes of, illustration andshown ind .the accompanying drawings in whichz- Fig.4 lis zin-enlarged end elevation, partially broken away, ,of 'a coferdamiconstructed'in accoudance with my'inventicn,

Fig; 2 isa perspective viewof one-ofithebar- Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through a frame and illustrating the blanketing of the frame;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coierdam,

Fig. 5 illustrates the application of my invention to sloping and horizontal surfaces.

Fig. 6 illustrates the application of the invention to a horizontal surface,l and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan View illustrating a further feature of the invention.

In Figs. l-4. I have illustrated the application of my invention to the formation of a water excluding coiferdam on and extending along a downwardly sloping bank I illustrated as having a concrete bottom I2. The apparatus employed comprises two end frames I4 and an articulated wall of frames I6 therebetween.

Each frame IE is of triangular'configuration (Fig. 3) and comprises bottom pieces I8, uprights 20 and relatively long and downwardly sloping pieces 22 covered to provide a continuous platform 24. The bottom corners of the frame are weighted by concrete blocks 26 and 28 and a plurality of buoyancy tanks 30 are carried in the upper portion of the frame. The frames are adapted to be connected together by cables 32 extending through pipe sleeves 34 mounted in alignment in the frames.

A sufcient number of frames I to form the required barrier are floated into alignment at the desired location and are heldin such alignment by the cables 32 extending through the sleeves 34. The cables 32 join the frames into an articulated unit that can be easily floated to new loca-tions. When the cables are loose the frames are permitted aV considerable relative movement but the frames are held to a unit when the cables are tightened. The frames I6 are floated into place by means of the buoyancy chambers 30 and are sunk in the predetermined aligned position by displacing air with water in the chambers. End frames I4 are provided to cooperate with frames I6 and are sunk at the ends thereof to form the U-shaped barrier illustrated in Fig. 4.

f The concrete bottom I2 is somewhat porous Y .and water excluding blankets are employed for eliminating the inward seepage of water through the'concrete. Blankets 36 are laid on and extend downwardly of the sloping bottom adjacent to and outwardly of the end frames I4.v The outer end faces of these frames are sheathed over to provide a continuous supporting surface 3l and the outer end faces of the two outermost frames IE at the ends of the barrier are likewise sheathed. These surfaces are covered with a water excluding'V blanket 38 extending downwardly thereover and outwardly therefrom in direct overlapping contact with the blankets 36.

Disposed on and along the platform 24 of the aligned frames I6 are a plurality of waterproof canvas blankets 40 in such overlapping relation as to form in eTect a continuous blanket over the entire length of such surface. The top ends of these blankets are secured in place at 42 (Fig. 3) and the blankets, in rolled form, are adapted to be rolled downwardly thereof to cover the entire platform and a substantial area 44 of the bottom I0, therebeyond as illustrated in Fig. 1. 'Ihe blanketsare rolled on relatively heavy cores 43. These blankets also overlap the end blankets 38 and together therewith provide a U-shaped water barrier enclosing the area to be treated.

are employed for rolling the blankets down the platform 24. Y Y

The blocks 26 and 28 of cement, together with the buoyancy chambers thereabove, not only aid in maintaining the frames I6 in upright position during the oating oi the frames into place but also serve to hold the frames against backward tipping by the action and pressure of the water on the blankets.

It will be apparent that the water pressure on the top face of the blankets presses the blankets rmly into contact with the bottom I0 and forms a water excluding barrier. Under these conditions the only water that can reach the area enclosed by the barrier is such as may pass by slow seepage through the blankets and through the concrete I2. When the barrier and blankets are in nal position, `the water is pumped from the enclosed area. Such water as may seep into the area through the concrete beneath the relatively long distances covered by the blankets is extremely minor and is easily removed.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the employment of my invention on combined sloping and horizontal surfaces and 52. A plurality of frames 54 are supported on cables 56 in aligned and articulated arrangement, like the frames I6, between suitable end frames like the frames I4 of Fig. l. Vertical surfaces 58 on the forward sides of the frames are adapted to receive blankets 60 rolled downwardly thereover and outwardly along the bottom at 62. Y

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated the application of my invention to the exposing of an intermediate 1 bottom surface 6B. A plurality of frames 58 are supported oncables Ill in an aligned and articulated arrangement between suitable end frames. Oppositely disposed vertical surfaces 'I2 are provided at two sides of each frame and are adapted Il to receive blankets 'I4 rolled downwardly thereover and outwardly along the bottom at 16.

When employing the invention on mud or relatively soft bottoms, it is desirable to use additional supporting means for the blankets resting on ther bottom. In Fig. 7 I have illustrated the employment of relatively adjacent'rails 'I8 on the bottom beneath the blankets 60 thereby supporting the blankets against sagging movement through theV bottom and beneath the blanket supporting surface 58' of the frame the area being exposed.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' 1. A method of forming a coiferdam about a submerged surface area to be exposed in a body of water, which consists in providing about said area relatively adjacent and juxtaposed cooperating blanket supporting surfaces within the water and extending upwardly from the bottom of said and wound on drums 48 carried by the frames body to above the water level, and excluding water from the area by attaching the outerl free margin of rolled blanket material to the top portion of the combined surfaces above the water level and unrolling the material therefrom downwardly over the surfaces to the bottom of said area and from thence outwardly therefrom over the bottom.

2.A method of forming a coiferdam which inc ludes the steps of floating 'an articulated row of frames, each having a laterally facing surface,

Vinto combined relation in which the combined laterally facing surfaces of the frames form a continuous supporting surface extending upward- 1y and longitudinally along the combined frames, sinking the frames to the bottom in such relation, and blanketing said supporting surface and the bottom adjacent thereto with a water-excluding fabric extending from the bottom vto above the water level.

3. The method defined in claim 2 plus the sinking of end frames at and cooperating with the ends of said combined frames in a tpl-shaped arrangement ene-losing a predetermined area, and blanketing the outwardly facing surfaces of the end frames with a water-excluding fabric cooperating with the rst named fabric to exclude Water from said area.

4. The method defined in kcnim ,2 1h which said supporting surface is blanketed b 'y 'rolling a plurality of water-excluding blankets'.vv from above the water level downwardly and outwardly in 6 overlapping relation at their junction edges on and covering said supporting surface and said bottom adjacent thereto.

CURZONl DOBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

2,390,403 Van der Rest Dec. 4, 1945 

